But Carlos got the fact that while this business surely is a business, it was and isn't a job as much as a calling to tell what needs to be told, regardless of what the pols and sometimes even editors have to say. And telling what needs to be told was -- and is -- one heck of a lot of fun.

For Carlos, who passed away at just 36 over the weekend, this calling was a joy. With his trademark fedora and half-cocked grin and pitch-perfect impression of the late John Stroger, his life was one to be enjoyed and lived to the fullest.

Carlos wanted more of that life, more of his life. The last time I saw him, a few months ago, he knew there were signs that his cancer had returned, but he was ready for a second round with the beast he hoped to survive.

Though worried about his health, he was more worried about the state of the journalism business at a time when the numbers no longer add up, worried about how it would affect him and his.

Now he's gone.

Take care, buddy. Break a few stories up there about fallen angels on the take, will ya?

*** 2 p.m. update: A few words from Presdident Barack Obama, in a statement:

“I was saddened to hear of the passing of Carlos Hernandez Gomez.

"Our paths first crossed when I was a state senator. He was a throwback in the style of Chicago’s storied political reporters. He loved Chicago, and he relentlessly sought to tell its story with the commitment to truth and the insatiable curiosity that any good reporter has to have.

"I quickly learned that when you saw his sharp fedora in a crowd, hard questions were coming. But Carlos always played it straight. And I always enjoyed our interactions in Springfield, Chicago, or on the campaign trail.

"Carlos was a role model to many, and an integral part of the Chicago story he strived to tell. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife Randi and his family."